Amnesty International warns travelers to US over gun violence: Amnesty International has warned travelers and visitors to the United States to exercise extreme caution due to the rampant gun violence in the country.
The warning comes in the wake of two mass-shootings in El Paso and Dayton. The organization said that gun violence has become so prevalent in the US and that amounts to a human rights crisis.
“The travel advisory addressed growing gun violence, mostly hate crimes, racism and discrimination, highlighting that the traveller’s race, country of origin, ethnic background, sexual orientation or gender identity may place them at high risk after recent attacks linked to white supremacist ideology,” Amnesty International said.
The travel advisory issued on Wednesday “calls on people worldwide to exercise caution and have an emergency contingency plan when traveling throughout the USA.”According to the Washington Post, several other countries in the world are also urging their citizens to be cautious while visiting the US.
Uruguay and Venezuela discouraged their citizens from traveling to the US, citing this weekend’s mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio.Venezuela urged their citizens to take extreme precautions or postpone their journey in the face of the proliferation of acts of violence and hate crimes.
Amnesty International further stated it has been calling for common sense reform regarding the use and possession of firearms, including comprehensive background checks, national regulations for registering and licensing firearms, required training, a ban on high capacity magazines/assault weapons, and mandatory safe-storage laws.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday visited the victims of the 13-hour massacre.According to Reuters, Trump visited hospitals where victims were treated in El Paso, Texas, on the border with Mexico, and in Dayton, Ohio, after deadly shootings that shocked the country and reopened a national debate on gun safety. Chanting crowds in Dayton urged Trump: “Do something!”
By Mercy Asamba
Source- standardmedia.co.ke
Amnesty International warns travelers to US over gun violence
